A Numbers Game
We associate algebra, geometry, and calculus with practicality and logic. But the origins of math are as mysterious as any scripture
WackyLeaks
“Excerpts” from Ginni Thomas’s e-mails attempting to overturn the 2020 election …
Charlie Siem
The violin virtuoso and Dior model making classical music cool
Beethoven in the Fjord
Norway’s superstar of the keyboard, Leif Ove Andsnes, directs a chamber-music festival in his own backyard
The Hard-Crusted Softy in Winter
Ten years after Gore Vidal’s death, the one biographer to remain friendly with the prickly master reveals poignant details of his final years
The Artist’s Gaze
Panned by critics, loved by Jack Nicholson and Madonna, the Scottish artist Jack Vettriano discusses his provocative art, collected in a new show
The Big Books of Summer
A smart list of hot titles you won’t want to miss
End of the Line
A Streetcar Named Desire rolls into the 21st century, starring Gillian Anderson and Ben Foster
Second Act
At 46 years old, Joanna Quinn finally published the novel she’s been wanting to write for decades. Now it’s shaping up to be the book of the summer (and fall)
Staff Picks
Don’t miss a detailed account of Harvey Weinstein’s rise and fall; the inside story of the U.S.’s war against the Islamic State; and a history of Fire Island
Callil Confidential
For many years, Carmen Callil dominated London’s literary and feminist scenes. In a memoir, the outspoken Melbourne native travels back in time
Going Seoul-O
Boy band BTS has generated billions for the South Korean economy, but after nine nonstop years, its members are “exhausted” and ready to pursue separate careers
The Dior Allure
A new book tells the history of the couture house through its storied Paris headquarters
The Monroe Doctrine
A new film about Marilyn Monroe starring Ana de Armas follows the release of two documentaries (and Kim Kardashian’s Met Gala wardrobe malfunction), confirming our 60-year obsession with the star
Spin the Bottle
Music is like wine: the more there is to go around, the better. Herewith, songs from long-playing records for long-lasting summer days, from Gene McDaniels, the O’Jays, Prince, and more
The Summer of Discontent for the .1 Percent
Their fancy private jets can’t land; they’re angry at an Eleven Madison Park co-founder … Life is very, very hard
